A home safe is a piece of equipment that every household should own. After all, everyone has something that they want to keep safe, whether that’s cash or jewelry, stock certificates, guns or personal identification such as birth certificates, Social Security cards, and other valuable items. And protecting these items well are what the best home safe models do each and every day. The best home safe will not only protect personal items from theft but will also protect it from fire, tornadoes and other natural disasters. Which makes them very important to keep around the house. They are so important, I’ve decided to list ten of the models that I feel are the best ones for homeowners to own. These models will provide security to whatever you need to keep safe.
10. SentrySafe SFW123DSB 1.23-Cubic Feet
This combination safe is able to keep a wide variety of valuables safe against floods, fire, and theft. It’s made out of steel, has a pry-resistant hinge bar and four live-locking bolts. It has a combination which can be deactivated using a key to prevent people who know the combination from being able to open it. This unit is ETL against eight inches of water for up to twenty-four hours and up to an hour at seventeen hundred degrees. It has also been verified to not only protect paper and metal valuables but also digital media such as CDs, USB drives, and memory sticks.
9. Giantex Keypad Lock Digital Security Box
This easy-to-use electronic safe is made from 2-millimeter thick steel and is designed to resist an assortment of mechanical tool attacks such as pry bars and drills. It has tamper-proof hinges which are hidden and has an electrostatic paint coating that won’t chip or peel over time. This model has an electronic keypad that keeps the user’s valuables safe, and if the batteries in this safe happen to die, then it comes with an override key which gives the user access to their valuables. This model’s front door is extra-thick, 4-millimeters thick, and this unit can easily be mounted to the floor, wall or to a cabinet.
8. Dealkoo Battery Powered Strong Box
Available in one of four different colors: white, black, blue, or sliver gray, this digital safe is not only secure but also stylish as well. It has a door that is 2-inches thick and the safe is constructed from heavy-duty steel and can be mounted on either floors or walls. It uses the digital entry to keep the door locked and this security system is powered by four AA batteries. The user can program the pin to be any combination of numbers between three and eight digits, and there is a master key if the user every forgets or loses their code. This makes this a good safe to protect valuables from casual theft.
7. SereneLife SLSFE24FP Lock Box
This fingerprint activated safe is made out of 2-millimeter thick steel with a door which is 4-millimeters thick and has dual steel door locking bolts. It also has a battery-powered keypad that can be opened in one or two ways. It can be opened with a key code or it can be opened with fingerprints. This model can store up to twenty fingerprints, which allows the owner to add their family if they want to give them access to their valuables. It also has two keys that allow for manual access and will protect documents against fire. It can be mounted to either floors or walls and is ideal for not only protecting documents but also jewelry and gun as well.
6. Stack On PDS Electronic Lock Drawer Security Box
Giving the user the ability to keep a pistol, ammo or other valuables close at hand, this drawer safe is only 11.5-inches by 8.25-inches by 2.25-inches and can easily fit into a drawer. And even though it’s small, it still keeps valuables safe with its solid steel construction and live-action locking bolts with concealed hinges. It can be used in a drawer or mounted to a solid surface and are approved as Firearm Safety Devices in the state of California. This safe has an easy-to-program electronic lock that time’s out after three incorrect combination attempts.
5. AdirOffice Home & Office Security Box
This security safe has a number of features which make it a good model for protecting documents, jewelry and other valuables. It has a steel construction with two live-door bolts, pry-resistant and concealed hinges and a steel-door that’s pry-resistant as well. It is about 2.32 cubic feet, so it can hold a number of objects at one time. It can be opened with a programmable keypad that’s operated by two AA batteries and has two override keys which allow the safe to be opened if the batteries ever run out of juice or the user forgets their pass code.
4. Gunbunker GS-1 Home & Car Security Box
Made of 16-gauge steel that has a nice powder coating on it, this gun safe is ideal for storing a firearm at home or in a car, motorcycle or boat. It can be mounted horizontally or vertically, so it can be used in a variety of different locations and has a full-foam lined interior that protects the firearm from damage. This safe also has a high-strength latch that’s is designed to be pry-resistant. This safe can hold a gun 7.36-inches by 1.2-inches by 5-inches or smaller. This makes this an ideal safe for storing guns and meets current TSA airline firearm requirements.
3. Benlet Solid Steel Safe Box
Designed to protect a variety of valuables from documents and guns to jewelry and cash, this solid-steel safe is a good safe for most homes. It has a programmable keypad that can be programmed with a pin between three and eight numbers and comes with a master key that will unlock the safe if the user forgets the pass code. This unit can be mounted to floors or walls and is fireproof and corrosion resistant as well. This safe has interior dimensions of 8.9-inches by 6.5-inches by 6.5-inches and has a door that is 2-inches thick.
2. Steelwater AMSWD-360 Fireproof Security Box
Made with two layers of steel, this safe can hold up to 2-hours of 1850-degree Fahrenheit fire without fail. It has four solid-steel locking bolts, a removable drawer that’s 1.5-inches deep and a pre-set non-changeable combination dial. This is a durable and high-quality safe that can protect a variety of different documents including important papers, jewelry, and guns. And since this unit is heavy, weighing approximately 115-pounds, it’s harder for this unit to be carried off, especially if it is mounted to a floor or other suitable surface.
1. Steelwater AMSWD-500 Security Box
Weighing approximately 115-pounds and manufactured using two layers of steel, this high-quality safe is durable enough for a number of different applications. While it’s not rated to protect data drives, it is durable enough to protect safes, jewelry, cash and other valuables. It has two stationary rectangular locking bolts on the hinge side and a non-changeable combination dial. This safe has interior dimensions of 15-inches by 9-3/8-inches by 12-1/8-inches and has a door that swings 180-degrees. It also has a removable drawer and an adjustable or removable shelf, as well as an interior anchoring hole.
Home Safe Buying Guide
Home safes are an important tool for helping consumers safeguard their possessions, family heirlooms, tax records, birth certificates, Social Security cards, and other important materials from either fire or theft. Although it’s probably not a good idea for the consumer to use a home safe for extremely valuable items, it is good for items that the homeowner want to protect and keep close to them at the same time. To help consumers find a safe that’s good for these purposes, we went ahead and listed some of the things that people should look for when buying a new safe for the home.
What Can Be Placed In A Home Safe?
Before we begin, we would like to state that not everything should be kept in a home safe that’s purchased in a store or online. For example, if a person wants to protect a $40,000+ Inverted Airmail postage stamp or a 1933 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle worth $7 million, then they’re probably not going to put it into a storebought safe. Instead, they’re either going to have a company build a safe in their home, or they’re going to use a safety deposit box at their local bank. So what can a home safe be used for? Below are a few things people usually place in their home safes.
Items Typically Stored In A Home Safe
- Cash
- Birth Certificates
- Social Security Cards
- Passports
- Bank Statements
- Tax Records
- Baptismal Records
- Family Photos
- Warranty Cards
- Insurance Documents
- Family Heirlooms
- Estate Planning Documents
Think About Its Protection Level
Most people purchase home safes to protect their valuables from fire, but obviously, some people are also concerned about theft. If a person needs a fire-resistant safe, they should make sure to buy one that specifically states that it provides that protection. If the person needs protection from thieves, they should make sure that it offers the appropriate features. Although some safes offer both fire and theft protection, that isn’t always the case. Remember: not all fire-proof safe offer theft protection and not all theft-proof safes offer fire protection, so always be sure to read specifications.
To be considered effective against fire, a home safe should provide the documents inside it with up to 30-minutes of fire protection. That’s usually the standard because home fires tend to move through the home and not concentrate in one area, so if the safe offers at least 30-minutes of fire protection, it should be more than enough. Of course, there are home safes that offer an hour or more of fire protection, but these usually cost quite a bit more than standard safes and they’re usually considered overkill. For most homes, 30-minutes of fire protection is enough for proper document protection.
Consider The Safe’s Rating
Although we aren’t going to get into detail explaining the ratings of home safes, we will list some of the more common ratings and the maximum monetary amount they’re designed to protect. As we said earlier, extremely valuable items should be stored either in a safe-deposit box at the bank or a specially constructed home safe. Having said that, below are some recommended home safe ratings.
B-Rated: Usually for valuables $4,000 or less in value.
B/C-Rated: Designed for valuables $10,000 or less in value.
RSC Rated: Designed for valuables up to $15,000 in value.
C-Rated: Designed for valuables up to $25,000 in value.
TL-15 Rated: Designed for $25,000 to $100,000 in value.
Getting The Most Out Of A Home Safe
Now that we’ve adequately discussed what to consider before buying a new home-safe, it’s time to turn our attention to getting the most out of a home safe. Below are some tips that will help the safe keep your valuables safe against fire and/or theft.
Hide Or Bolt-Down The Safe
One of the best ways to ensure that your home safe isn’t just carried away during a burglary is by hiding it in a closet or wall or bolting it down. When most thieves move through a home, they’re looking for things that they can grab and go. Most thieves aren’t going to bother spending more than a few minutes trying to break into a home safe. They’re either going to grab it and try to crack it open elsewhere or they’re going to leave it. If you make sure they can’t find it in the first place, or that they can’t just run off with it, then you’re going to be improving the odds of the home safekeeping your valuables protected.
Leave False Bait
Another thing a homeowner or apartment dweller can do to ensure that they’re valuables are safe is by leaving burglar-bait out in the open. Burglar baits are costume jewelry or inexpensive baubles that look expensive at first glance but are worth next to nothing. The point of leaving these objects in the open is that so burglars will run in and grab the inexpensive items and therefore not bother to search for other valuables. Other items that can be used as burglar bait include broken cameras or empty strong boxes.
Use A Home Security System
Another thing helps protect your valuables is a security system, so using one in conjunction with your home safe will add another layer of protection against burglary.
Consider A Waterproof Safe
If you’re purchasing a safe to protect your documents against fire, then you might want to consider buying one that’s waterproof as well. Most fireproof safes aren’t waterproof because that’s an additional feature. Although it does drive the overall cost of the safe up, we feel that it’s extremely important. After all, when the fire department comes to put out your fire, they’re most likely going to use water to do it. Many homeowners have had their documents protected by their home safe during a fire only to have them subsequently destroyed by the water used by the fire department.
